Columbus, Ohio Fundraiser Receives Achievement Recognition from AFP

April 4, 2016

Long-time higher education and nonprofit fundraising leader William F. “Bill” Bartolini, Ph.D., ACFRE, of Columbus, Ohio, received the Founders’ Medallion from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in recognition of more than 20 years of service to the Association and its mission to elevate standards and impact of the fundraising profession.

The award was presented by AFP Chair Patrick Feeley, CFRE, and President and CEO Andrew Watt, FInstF, at a reception celebrating the Association’s 53rd International Fundraising Conference in Boston, Mass.

Bartolini is the senior philanthropic advisor for principal gifts at The Ohio State University, where he builds the capacity of the Wexner Medical Center and the Health Sciences Colleges to raise gifts of $5 million and more. He has served in leadership roles for AFP’s Greater Cleveland chapter and is a member of the Central Ohio chapter.

Bartolini has also served on the board of directors for both AFP and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy (U.S). As part of his local and international board service at AFP, he has served in more than 50 task force and committee positions, including the chair of both the Task Force on Licensure of Fundraising Professionals and the National Diversity Committee. He is a member of two AFP giving and leadership societies.

Bartolini is one of AFP’s longest serving and most popular educators, leading professional development presentations and workshops at AFP conferences and symposia across chapters and international events. He acquired the ACFRE accreditation, a credential that signifies mastery of fundraising leadership, management and ethics, at an advanced level of practice. He is a former instructor at Columbia University where he taught a course on major gifts in the Masters in Fundraising and Nonprofit Management program.

“My service to AFP is about paying forward for the education, mentorship and networking the Association has provided me over the course of my career, so I am humbled and honored to receive the AFP Founders’ medallion,” said Bartolini. “I believe we honor the donors and causes we serve by holding ourselves accountable to professional standards and ethics. I hope my contribution to the profession as a development officer, mentor, and teacher helps make the world a little better by encouraging others to give generously of their time and resources for the common good. It’s meaningful work that I enjoy beyond measure.”

“Bill Bartolini is one of the North America’s most distinguished ambassadors of higher standards for education and ethics for fundraising professionals,” said Watt. “Beyond preparing professionals for the challenges and opportunities of the charitable giving sector, Bill’s work in the public arena has raised awareness of the critical role that fundraising plays in securing investment in society.”

Prior to accepting his post at Ohio State University, Bartolini was responsible for preparing 13 schools and units at The George Washington University for their first one billion dollar campaign. He also has raised funds for Kent State University, where he was on the senior team for their first comprehensive campaign, and Northeastern University, where he sparked the completion of a lagging $200 million campaign. He has also worked at the University of Illinois and several other nonprofit organizations.

Bartolini received his undergraduate degree from Ball State University, his Master’s degree from Indiana University, and his Ph.D. from Kent State University, where his dissertation focused on Prospective Donors’ Cognitive and Emotive Processing of Charitable Requests.